


The Consequences of (Attempted) Sacrifice

by GemmaRose



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Arguing, Gen, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Post-Season/Series 04 Finale, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 07:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12577108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: After Naxela, Shiro hears about the stunt Keith pulled and Words are had.





	The Consequences of (Attempted) Sacrifice

“Keith!” Hunk cried out, running across the hangar and scooping him up in a hug. “We missed you, buddy!”

Keith tensed at the contact and Hunk set him down, still smiling but no longer quite as wide. “Good to be back.” he said lamely, forcing a smile.

“Heard you kicked ass at your cannon, Samurai.” Lance grinned, folding an arm over Hunk’s shoulder and resting his chin on it. “But don’t think you showed us up.”

“I think Lotor showed us all up.” Matt said bitterly, hopping off the rebel ship’s loading ramp and giving Keith a poisonous look. “And I can’t even be mad about it.”

“Matt!”

The rebel’s expression changed in an instant, and he crouched slightly to catch Pidge and swing them around. Something deep in Keith’s chest ached as they started chattering to each other at a million miles an hour, banked coals sparking just behind his heart, and he looked away. This wasn’t where he belonged anymore. With Shiro back in his Lion, they had all the Paladins they needed. And speaking of the Black Paladin, the man was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Shiro?” he asked, and Hunk and Lance exchanged grimaces.

“With Lotor.” Hunk answered.

“Allura and Kolivan too.” Lance added. “They’re making sure it’s safe to bring him aboard.”

Keith nodded. That was a smart move, no matter how many rebel lives he’d saved there was always the chance the ex-Emperor was playing a long con.

“C’mon.” Hunk took a step back and turned half towards the door, gesturing for Keith to follow him. “Coran’s on the bridge, he missed you too.”

“I told him you’re a terrible actor, but so’s Shiro so.” Lance shrugged, and Keith bit back a grin. Those Coalition shows had been weird as all hell to watch, inaccurate in just about every way possible, but still a surreal kind of funny. He almost wished he’d been there to get dragged into them. Only almost, though.

“Believe it or not, I think Shiro’s worse.” he pointed out as he followed Hunk and Lance towards the nearest elevator.

“Bullshit.” Lance scoffed. “You can’t even do a simple cheer, how am I supposed to believe you’re any good at lines or choreo?”

Keith snorted. “What makes you think I’m bad at that stuff?” he taunted, and Lance made a wordless sound of offense. It was so easy, so painfully easy to fall back into how things had been before. Before Shiro went missing, before Black allowed him to pilot it, before Shiro came _back_. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d missed them, missed the bond they’d shared before everything went to shit, missed the warmth his peers could bring even to the coldest depths of space. He would have to leave again soon, return to the Blade with Kolivan and await his next mission, but until then he could enjoy their company.

Lance and Hunk fell silent the second the doors to the bridge opened, and Keith stood straighter as Shiro turned to look at him. “Keith.” he narrowed his eyes, and Keith forced himself to look unaffected as he stepped into the room. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” he asked, managing somehow to sound casual.

“About your problem solving skills.” Kolivan crossed his arms, mimicking Shiro’s posture. “Or rather, your appalling lack of them.”

“If this is about the ship Lotor blew up-”

“It’s about you almost throwing your life away.” Shiro snapped, arms falling to his sides as he took a step forward. “Do you not remember our first debrief? Do you not remember any of the fights we’ve been in since then?”

“Our guns weren’t doing anything, I had to try _something_.” he protested.

“There were better means to achieve your ends than what you chose to do.” Kolivan glowered at him, arms still crossed.

“Like what?” he challenged, hands curling into fists at his sides as heat slowly began to build in his chest. “Sit there and let them wipe us out?”

“Keith, what-”

“Like scatter, get behind the cannon, fuck, _literally anything else_.” Shiro spoke over Hunk, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I know you’re impulsive but what could have possibly possessed you to do something that _stupid_?”

“I’m a soldier.” he gritted out, fixing his eyes on Shiro’s feet.

“You’re an idiot, is what you are.”

“Agreed.” Kolivan rumbled. “The mission comes first, but the Blades do not condone senseless self-sacrifice.”

Keith clenched his fists tighter, nails digging into his palms nearly hard enough to pierce his suit.

“Keith, until further notice, you’re grounded.”

His head snapped up at that, heat filling his ribcage like a furnace. “You can’t ground me!” he protested.

“Wanna bet?” Shiro glared.

“I’m not a child.” he spat.

“Funny, last I checked it wasn’t October yet.” Shiro crossed his arms. “You’re a child.”

“I’m a Paladin!” he shouted, making a slashing motion with his right hand. The heat in his chest exploded, flames rushing through his every vein and artery, Red’s crackling roar filling his head and echoing in his ears. He blinked the red from his vision, breathing hard, and let his hand fall to his side. Something knocked against his leg, and a chill ran through him. He knew what his fingers had wrapped around unthinkingly, knew what he now held, but he still had to look to be sure.

It was ~~his~~ Red’s bayard, summoned from Lance’s armour. He dropped it quickly, drawing his hand up to his chest as he looked from the ancient weapon on the floor to Kolivan, who looked disappointed. “Soldier.” he corrected himself. “I’m a soldier, not a Paladin.” he turned to Lance, and found an unreadable expression under the blue-accented helmet. “I’d never take Red from you.”

“I don’t think I ever really had her to begin with.” Lance smiled, dry and blatantly fake. “I was just a stand-in.” he stepped forward, stooped to pick up the bayard, and held it out to Keith. “She’s yours, Mullet.”

“I-” the rest of Keith’s denial died in his throat, flames licking at the back of his mind. She was agreeing with Lance, urging him to take up his ancient altean blade again and return to her. Fuck, why couldn’t they just let him leave? Voltron didn’t need six Paladins.

“What was that?” Allura’s face popped up on a screen near Shiro, Coran visible over her shoulder. The background indicated they were somewhere in the castle.

“It would appear one of your Lions has reclaimed its Paladin from us.” Kolivan said, turning his back to Keith to answer the Princess’s question.

“Kolivan, please.” Keith turned half away from Lance and took a step towards the galra, who looked over his shoulder with a stern expression.

“It is clear where your heart truly lies, Paladin. You will serve better here than with the Blade.” he closed the video call, and nodded his head briefly to Shiro. “If you have any questions, the number I gave you will work until the end of the quintant.”

Shiro nodded in return, and Kolivan walked past Keith without so much as a glance. Somehow, that felt more final than anything he’d said.

“Keith?” Hunk touched his shoulder gently.

“Where’s Pidge?” Shiro asked before he had to respond.

“Should be up shortly with Matt and the rest of the rebels.” Lance said, and Keith looked down as long fingers wrapped around his wrist and lifted it, pressing the bayard’s handle into his palm. “Are we debriefing in here?” he asked, curling Keith’s fingers around the grip before stepping back, leaving his right side open in a way that felt wrong on some deep, visceral level.

“As soon as the Princess gets Lotor handled.” Shiro nodded minutely. “And after that, Keith, you and I are going to have a long talk about acceptable sacrifices. Understood?”

“Understood.” he mumbled, looking at the weapon in his hand.


End file.
